A method of and means for making cloth-covered buckles



y 7 A. 1.. SACKRIDER 2,798,389

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING CLOTH-COVERED BUCKLES Filed Nov. 2, 1955 IN V EN TOR:

" wism/wz WWW I yaw A METHGD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING CLOTH COVERED BUCKLES Agnes L. Sachrider, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 2, 1955, Serial N 544,517

6 Claims. (Cl. 795) This invention relates in general to an implement for use in connection with DO-It-Yourself buttons and buckles whereby an operator covers .a frame with any desired fabric usually to match or decorate a dress or to provide a belt buckle for a belt to be used with some particular dress.

In making articles of this kind, a pair of frames is provided which are pressed together with fabric between them which covers the outer sides of the frames and in which means is provided for sealing the frames together with the fabric therebetween.

The present invention relates more particularly to an implement for engaging and bending the material of one of the frames in place to overlap the other and to pre vent pricking the fingers if the fastening and securing means for the fabric includes pointed teeth or prongs which engage the fabric and hold it in place.

An important object of the invention is to provide an implement for applying fabric to a pronged frame and bending the prongs over the fabric to hold the fabric in place and also to hold the frames together and covering the frames.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of quickly and easily forming buckles, buttons, and the like by inserting a fabric between a pair of cooperating frames which fit one within the other, applying fabric to one or both of the frames, and sealing the fabric in place by bending projecting prongs from one of the prongs for the fabric and against the other frame, sealing the frames together.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification and will be apparent from the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a buckle with projecting teeth and a pusher for bending the teeth in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the buckle as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with only the outer frame covered with fabric; Fig. 2a is a sectional view of inner and outer toothed frames each covered with fabric engaged by the teeth and the inner frame insertable inthe outer one.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of a buckle illustrating the method of using the pusher.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are respectively a lower buckle element, a fabric form inserted in the buckle and an upper buckle member.

Figs. 7 is a View partly in section showing a pusher with a removable head; Fig. 8 shows a pusher with an outwardly rounded plastic head in section; and Fig. 9 shows a pusher with a flattened and rounded pusher head in section.

This invention provides an implement for covering cooperating frames of buckles, buttons, and the like, with a fabric which extends over the outside of one of the frames and is sealed beneath another frame fitting in the first one by means of bendable teeth which both engage the fabric and also engage over the other frame element when seated therein.

lg 2,798,389 Patented July 9, 1957 Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a buckle frame 10 which may be rectangular, oval or any desired shape is formed of sheet material rounded or smooth on one side and having insideteeth 12 and out side teeth 14 projecting outwardly at the other side with a concave surface between the opposite rows of teeth.

Over the outside smooth side of the frame, a shaped piece of fabric 16 is applied which is of sulficient width to extend around and overlap the teeth 12 and 14 .at both inner and outer edges of the frame. An inner frame 18 is less in width and thickness than the frame 10. It is also preferably stamped out of sheet material and concave at one side so that it will fit within the rows of teeth projecting at one side of the frame 10. In the buckle, a cross piece 20 is also a part of the frame and provides a support for a buckle finger (not shown) which is hinged at the center of the cross piece.

If the inner frame 18 of the cross piece is also covered, a smaller piece of fabric similar to the piece of fabric 16 may be applied around the outer face of the frame 18 and stitched or otherwise attached in place.

The imier and outer edges 22 and 24 of the piece of fabric are applied over the corresponding inner and outer teeth 12 and 14 of the buckle frame 10 engaged thereby and the edges inserted loosely into the concave portion of the frame; the inner frame 18 either covered by a similar or a different piece of fabric or uncovered is inserted into the other frame between the projecting teeth thereof, the concave portion of the frame 18 extending inwardly into the concave portion of the frame 10. With the parts in this position, it is necessary to upset or bend the teeth 12 and 14 over the outer convex side of the frame 18, thereby firmly binding the frame 18 in the outer frame 10 and clamping the fabric tightly in place over the frame. To carry out the above method, a pusher 26 is provided with a head 28 made of .fiexible or resilient material such as rubber, imitation rubber, plastic and the like which has a stick 30 extending into the head and for holding and manipulating the implement. This stick may be formed of wood, plastic or even of heavy wire or metal.

In the form shown by Fig. 7, the head has an at tached sleeve 32 into which one end of the stick 30 extends tightly and it may be cemented or molded in place. The outer portion of the head preferably has a fiat extremity 34 and an outwardly rounded edge 36 which projects well beyond the sleeve and the end of the handle stick. The material of the head and the handle stick 30 are sufiiciently stiff so that the head may be applied firmly against the fabric and the teeth 12 and 14 to bend them over the frame part 18 and to push them tightly and smoothly into a covering position, thereby preventing the operator from pricking his fingers in attempting to do this by hand without the implement.

In the form shown by Fig. 8, a handle stick 38 may be formed at the bottom with a projecting head 40 which fits into a recess of a rounded plastic or rubber head 42 which may be likewise applied to the fabric and prongs of a belt or buckle frame.

In the form of the invention shown by Fig. 9, a handle 44- has a plate 46 secured at one end and forming a seat for a flattened and rounded pusher head 48 of rubber, plastic, and the like. All of these pusher sticks are designed and intended to be used in the same manner for engaging fabric and the prongs or teeth of a buckle frame to apply the fabric to the teeth and to bend the teeth with the fabric over a companion frame to complete the binding of one frame part in the other and at the same time to spread and tighten the fabric on the teeth so that when the operation is complete, the fabric will be spread smoothly, evenly and tightly over the outer surface of the buckle frame f O ly one frame is covered by fabric and over both of the frames if both of the frames are covered by fabric. i N M The handle of each pusher stick is engaged with the fingets Q we ea at; th skle frame P rts m be enga ged and held by the otherihand.l The appliqetion of the pusher head does not injure the fabric nor the teeth and it does injurethe other hand if the pusherstick should slip out of contact with the buekle and into engagement with the said other hand.

While preferred forms of "the pusher have been described in some detail, they should beregarded by way of illustrations and examples rather than restrictions or limitations of the invention, as various changes may be d spns taqti a 'bv bin ti and ar an m n of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

eam:

1. In a means for making cloth-covered buckles, a pusher for engaging the fabric and teeth of button and buckle frames in forming fabric covering buttons and buckles which comprises a handle stick of relatively stifif material and a resilient head at the lower working end of the stick having means for attaching it to the stick and having a portion projecting outwardly beyond the stick for flexibly engaging fabric material applied to the frames and for engaging projecting teeth of one of the frames to press the teeth inwardly over the other frame, thereby securing the fabric in place and securing one frame in the other by the engagement of the teeth therewith.

2. In a means for making cloth-covered buckles, a pusher for engaging the fabric and teeth in forming a fabric covered button, buckle, and the like, comprising a stick of a size to be engaged by the fingers of one hand, and..a resilient flexible head at the end of the stick oppositethe finger engaging pant adapted to be manipulated by the fingers of the hand in pressing ma terial against the teeth and bending the teeth of one frame part over the other to bind the frame parts together.

3. A pusher in accordance with claim 2, in which the resilient flexible head has a sleeve portion engaged by the eiid of the pi'ls her stick, and a flattened outwardly projecting rounded head at the end of the stick.

4. In a pusher in accordance with claim 2, a handle stick with a projection at the end opposite the handle, and a flexible resilient member applied and secured over the head of the stick and projecting therefrom at all sides d at th end- 5. Themethod of covering toothed button and buckle frames in which a fabric is inserted between two frames and held in place by teeth bendable from one frame over the other frame which comprises applying a fabric material over a framehaving teeth at the edges, inserting another frame within the other between the teeth and engaging the edges of the fabric, resiliently engaging and pressing the material over the teeth and causing the teeth to penetrate the material at the edges of the frame before the second frame part is inserted and thereafter bending the teeth of one frame over the other, drawing the fabric smoothly over the opposite side of the frame, holding the fabric tightly between the frames and holdin t f ame i h y t th 6. In the method in accordance with claim 5, the further step of applying a fabric separately and resiliently to the teeth of the second frame part before it is inserted into the toothed frame part and resiliently pressing the fabric into p lates between the frames and thereafter bending the teeth of the first frame part over the back of the se on r e a geferencesgited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

